Winter camping cots

[mxracer317]

Looking at the Helinox Cot One Series (non-insulated). https://helinox.com/products/cot-one-convertible?variant=37667460776110

If I combine the Helinox with a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm MAX (6.9R value), it would be pretty awesome for winter camping.

However, I am thinking of ditching the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm MAX and doing the Helinox Cot One insulated version (5.0R value) for one less thing to lug around and/or pop in the backcountry. https://helinox.com/products/cot-one-convertible-insulated?variant=31752882520141

When it's really cold, I have a -20F sleeping bag.

Do you think the Thermarest adds more comfort/warmth for what its worth?

Looking for opinions!

 

[MTLabrador]

Are you thinking about a truck camp or backpacking? I really like my Neoair Xtherm for backpacking and there’s no way I’d carry one of the helinox cots backpacking.

 

[mxracer317]

Are you thinking about a truck camp or backpacking? I really like my Neoair Xtherm for backpacking and there’s no way I’d carry one of the helinox cots backpacking.

Kinda inbetween. Using llamas to carry gear in. When not using llamas, it would mostly be truck camping.

 

[MTLabrador]

Kinda inbetween. Using llamas to carry gear in. When not using llamas, it would mostly be truck camping.

I don’t have any experience with them, but they look pretty great for that use.

 

[eddytheeagle]

Might be a little too heavy (11 lbs) for what you’re looking for and maybe not available anymore, but my brother and I used these https://www.kelty.com/discovery-low-cot/ this year and they worked great. Lots of reviews about them being hard to set up, but if you have more than half a brain they’re pretty easy.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Serious question why are you winter camping? Hunting/ ski touring?

I have an alps ready light cot, that I used with an thermarest x-them pad on a late season cow elk hunt. I had my 15 degree down bag inside of a 20 degree synthetic bag, we were car camping, lows were somewhere around -5, possibly a bit lower. I slept well.

Not sure I would mess with llamas, sounds like a crappy time in the making.

Ski touring/back pack hunting I would either drag a sled or pack as light as possible (aka no cot), I've slept on the ground with my thermarest + a zlite mid winter... no issues.

There aren't a ton of species that situations where winter backpacking is advantageous for hunting, they exist... but there aren't a ton.

My buddy, works as a MD on Denali once a year for like a month straight, and he just uses his pad + a zlite... I can't remember what his pad is... I think an xtherm maybe an exped... he has a bag with a crazy rating.

 

[2rocky]

I just added a closed cell pad to my regular Thermarest in my BA bag (no down on bottom, just pad sleeve. . Standard civilian army style cot. My foam pad was a z rest but any foam pad will work. Folks will winter backpack with that setup while snow camping.

 

[Aliby]

I know insulation when sleeping the ground is vital. At -8°F and 10,000 ft a thermarest was a life saver.
How important is adding some sort of insulation on a cot?

 

[COEngineer]

Not sure I would mess with llamas, sounds like a crappy time in the making.

Ski touring/back pack hunting I would either drag a sled

Ummm, what the wha? Have you not been watching Randy and crew kicking butt with llamas?

I know you're not in CO anymore, but a sled?? I can barely think of a trail I have been hunting on that would allow for a sled for more than 50% of the route.

Seriously confused here. Did you buy this account from the old wllm1313?

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Ummm, what the wha? Have you not been watching Randy and crew kicking butt with llamas?

I know you're not in CO anymore, but a sled?? I can barely think of a trail I have been hunting on that would allow for a sled for more than 50% of the route.

Seriously confused here. Did you buy this account from the old wllm1313?

I did llamas for two elk hunts. They are great in the right conditions. For snow though I think a pulk would be a great option.

This is the ultra light option that I've been thinking about buying.

airframesalaska


My personal preference for elk hunting has been to hike back way in and then be able to exit in one trip. Llamas definitely help with this goal and are low maintenance in the field.

The problems:
1. I can carry a 60lb pack a lot further than even Beaus llamas can carry ~100lbs, possibly even ~75lb. Meaning that I'm not limited by my own abilities but by the livestock. Necessary evil but it drives me nuts. Also the llamas I've used are a PITA on the way in... fine on the way out... maybe I'm just a fast hiker

2. Llamas have gotten kinda cost prohibitive rental rate now is comparable to a drop camp. Cost for a single elk outta the field 8 miles in is probably gonna cost you $2500-3000 all in, for that rate I would definitely consider horses and the ability to arrive in my hunt location on fresh legs.

3. Sheep, let's not start a battle on this one, but there is the disease question and a lot of the places I hunt have wild sheep. I'm not using llamas this year specifically because of sheep.

So I'm not anti-llama, if I had free llamas to had land and owned my own I would use them a lot, but there are pros and cons to everything.

 

[Northwoods]

My wife and I bought some Helinox lite cots a few years ago for canoe trips. They are the “cat’s meow”. It doesn’t really work to put a pad on top of the cot as it just kinda slides out from underneath me during the night. That’s been my experience anyway. Personally I’d go with the insulated cot versus a cot/pad combo.

 

[chuckh]

Are there less expensive alternatives to the helinox?